Critical Care Core Lecture Series

Developed by John M. Oropello, MD, Program Director of the Critical Care Medicine Program, the Critical Care Core Lecture Series incorporates speakers from all disciplines of critical care from pulmonary, palliative, neurocritical, and cardiology. Lectures are recorded and available for fellows to be downloaded at any time.

Neurocritical Care Core Lecture Series

To complement the Critical Care Core Lecture Series and cover all recommended neurocritical care core topics by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, the Neurocritical Care Core Lecture Series includes reviews and updates of evidence-based neurocritical care clinical protocols, morbidity-mortality conferences, system-wide neurocritical care case conferences, and lectures by our core and interdisciplinary faculty.

Research Lecture Series

The Research Lecture Series focuses on the fundamentals of both clinical and outcomes research. The goal of the series is to equip fellows with knowledge to design and complete academic projects during their fellowship training and to prepare them for thriving academic careers.

Procedural Competencies

Trainees in the Neurocritical Care Fellowship learn core critical care procedures through didactics and simulation and get ample bedside experience. Fellows will graduate being comfortable with the following critical care procedures:

• Point of Care Ultrasound
  All fellows are given the opportunity to attend the New York Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) course at the start of their fellowship. An integral part of our daily neurocritical care rounds, fellows get ample experience in the practice, interpretation, and applications of POCUS, including critical care echocardiography, lung ultrasound, screening for deep vein thrombosis, and fundamental protocols.
• Venous Access
  Fellows perform central venous catheterization on the subclavian, internal jugular, and femoral veins with the use of ultrasound. Mannequins are used to teach subclavian and internal jugular catheterization, and all fellows rotate on the Central Venous Access Service to place central lines, dialysis catheters, and peripherally inserted central catheters using ultrasound and fluoroscopy.
• Airway
  All fellows start by learning the airway in simulation, rotating with anesthesia in their first year to learn the straightforward airway. The Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (NSICU) performs all their own intubations and fellows will have many opportunities to get experience. Fellows participate in airway simulations ranging from basic airway management to difficult airways and learn techniques for tracheostomy and cricothyrotomy. Percutaneous tracheostomies are performed at the bedside by the NSICU, allowing fellows to become proficient in this procedure.
• Bronchoscopy
  Bronchoscopy simulation is designed to enable fellows to practice the proper technique for performing a bronchoscopy, including setting up the field, maneuvering the scope through left and right main bronchi, secondary and tertiary bronchi, performing bronchoalveolar lavage, and collecting respiratory culture samples. There are plenty of opportunities to perform bronchoscopy at the bedside, including for tracheostomy and for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons.
• Transcranial Dopplers
  As a high-volume cerebrovascular center and liver transplant center, every neurocritical care fellow will learn to perform and interpret Transcranial Dopplers (TCDs).

The program emphasizes teaching responsibilities early in fellowship. Fellows have multiple opportunities to participate in teaching and lectures, including monthly Journal Club, Interesting Case Conference, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) sessions, and Topic Lectures. Fellows also have the opportunity to teach simulation sessions to residents, serve as senior fellows for simulations, participate in the Global Critical Care Conference, and contribute to nursing education.

The program also offers extensive research opportunities within the Institute for Critical Care Medicine, the Department of Neurosurgery, and to participate in multiple national clinical trials, including CLUTH, ASPIRE, SATURN, and FASTEST. Fellows are required to complete at least one research product by the end of fellowship and are encouraged to present their work at national conferences, including the Neurocritical Care Society Annual Meeting, International Stroke Conference, Critical Care Congress, and American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.

The fellowship offers a two-month boot camp for new fellows designed to provide a strong foundation for clinical practice. The boot camp includes a Bolus Lecture Series, during which faculty review high-yield topics relevant to neurocritical care. Fellows also participate in multiple simulation sessions covering essential skills and clinical scenarios, including airway management and securement, ACLS, neurologic emergencies, and foundational teamwork and communication. Additionally, through ICCM, fellows participate in a two-day Ultrasound Course at Montefiore Medical Center, as well as advanced airway simulation sessions during the F1 and F2 years in the anesthesia simulation laboratories.

Following the boot camp, fellows participate in monthly simulation sessions at Mount Sinai Hospital’s STAR Center. The center is equipped with high-fidelity manikins, intubation equipment, patient monitors, and ventilators, as well as dedicated spaces for teaching, hands-on training, and debriefing. These sessions provide fellows with a structured environment to develop and refine their technical and clinical skills while practicing team-based management of complex critical care scenarios.